Lili Anne Cullen was not expected, but her parents and family loved her all the same. The observant tame half to Renesmee's unhinged, wild personality, Lili compliments her sister perfectly. Like her twin, she inherited gifts similar to that of he...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Two uninvited vampires arrived, too tempted by the chance at fighting the Volturi. They did not care if Ness and I were immortal or not. Their presence made a few uncomfortable, but mainly their arrival brought annoyance. With the passing of a few days, the vampires had settled in more, but the tension and worry did anything but cease.
While training had been administered amongst them, Mom's shield powers were tested by Kate. Benjamin was able to show me a glimpse of his ability to wield and manipulate elements, influencing the grass at our feet to turn vibrant green and wild in growth with small flowers sprouting upwards as the surrounding area from the new patch of grass remained lilted and brown, an unusual gift that Amun had been protective of. Like my parents wished, I did not gain information from purposely looking into anyone's memory, but from the thoughts I had no control over hearing.
Surprisingly, the antisocial blonde who stowed himself away in the attic, left the house to watch the training from above in the trees. This man named Alistair brought a female companion with him. Her hair was strawberry blonde, eyes golden, unlike most who decided to support us as witnesses. While most vampires' skin smoothed clearly across their bodies, this vampire's flesh was littered with freckles and beauty marks. She was a traveling nomad who had befriended Alistair in solitude and because they had similar souls preferring quiet isolation.
The biggest difference between the two was that the woman whose name was Brighid held a subtle warmth to her exterior where Alistair's was icy, cold. I assumed that was the reason why he let anyone else into his closely knit circle in the first place, Pop-Pop being the only other to be known. Out of everyone who gathered, Alistair and his friend Brighid were the most mysterious and interesting to me.
Mom moved on from reading us picture books before bed. Tonight she read us a poem, "There's sweet music here that softer falls than petals from blown roses on the grass. Or night dews on still waters between walls of a shadowy granite in a gleaming pass. Music that brings sweet sleep down from the blissful skies." I turned, facing the wall as Mom shut the book before the sound of the lamp being turned off clicked. Mom brushed her hand on my head following a tender kiss to the same spot. As Mom creaked our bedroom door shut, I was grateful I could sleep away from the minds of all the vampires in our small cottage.
I struggled to answer all of Ness's questions, especially since with every new addition to our witnesses, a gazillion new inquiries arose. Even though our parents had already warned me against using my powers on other people, Ness still tempted me with bribery, "If you tell me more about Peter and Charlotte, I'll give you my desserts for a week." So as Mom shifted to leave the room, Ness asked the one question that wouldn't leave her mind, "Mom, did Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper run away because we are gonna die?" I remained still as I waited for Mom to answer my sister, "No. I think they left to keep us safer. That's what all these other people are here for, too. I'll never let anybody hurt you or Lili." I didn't have the need or want to stay where I was, tucked into my own bed a few feet away. I rushed into Mom's arms, hugging Ness for her comfort and my own. That night, I slept in Ness's bed with her.
